The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for packaging goods in general, and more particularly to packaging consumer goods at retail establishments and the like.
It is well known that, for instance, in retail establishments, consumer goods are to be wrapped or otherwise accommodated in receptacles, such as bags, boxes nd the like, unless the consumer goods already reach the retail establishment in a packaged condition, and in many instances even under these circumstances. It is also well known that the shape of the packaging receptacles for accommodating the consumer goods rarely, if ever, conforms to the shape of the goods to be packaged so that larger than necessary packaging receptacles have to be used in such establishments in order to be able to accommodate the goods to be packaged therein. This, of course, involves unnecessary waste of valuable material and, as a concomitant thereof, also an unnecessary additional expenditure. Also, the appearance of the conventional packaging receptacles, such as paper bags, leaves much to be desired and detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the goods packaged therein, which may be of importance in some circumstances. On the other hand, if the consumer goods reach the retail establishment already in a prepackaged condition, it is by no means certain that the prepackaged quantity is exactly what the consumer wants so that, in some instances, the original packages have to be opened, and the desired quantity of the goods transferred therefrom into different packaging receptacles. Then, the same problems as those ennumerated above are encountered. It may be seen from the above that the state of the packaging procedure, particularly at the retail level, leaves much to be desired.